


Skeleton Key

by Notasmuch



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Crack, M/M, Multi, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Not Really Character Death, Waiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-22 08:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2501039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notasmuch/pseuds/Notasmuch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is the Skeleton Key, which means he can open any lock and everyone loves him. Everything is wonderful, really. Then Zayn shows up with a special case and things get complicated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skeleton Key

**Author's Note:**

> This could be a 100 000 word fic with at least three different POVs. Instead I sliced it into several scenes and Harry's view which is limited. I just wanted a bit of fun, how did it end up like this... :) What I'm saying is, I like the story, that's why I'm posting it, but you can clearly tell it's not as whole as it could be, so be aware :)
> 
> I AM NOT OK WITH THIS STORY BEING SHARED ON OTHER WEBSITES. YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO TAKE IT AND POST IT ELSEWHERE.

"I have a job for you." Zayn appeared in the kitchen without a hello.

Harry frowned into his soup. "I'm kinda busy here." 

"Eating soup?" 

Harry sighed. "Getting the mayor of this town to give up his position and give it to the other guy." 

"Why?" 

"Because the other guy is paying me."

"Do you even know his name?"

"That Other Rich Guy?" Harry guessed and slurped his soup loudly.

"Sounds likely. Well, wrap that up quickly, this is more important."

"Is it, though?" Harry doubted. 

"It's from the top." 

Harry hummed and dipped some bread into his soup.

"You have a day, I'm leaving the file here." Zayn vanished.

**

The file wasn't big. Two sheets of paper with two photos on top. One of them was a handsome young man Harry didn't recognize, but the other one was Louis, mister Death himself. 

Harry walked over to the mayor and asked him nicely to resign his post, which he did, and thanked Harry for the opportunity to explore other venues in life and Harry nodded, then took his cash and left. 

The next morning when Zayn came for him, Harry thanked the nice couple for letting him stay in their house and they hugged him goodbye, thanked him for being there and invited him to stay any time he wanted. Harry didn't really think he would ever be in this town again.

"So where is he now?" he asked Zayn as they walked down the street.

"In Germany." 

"Why?" 

"Why is Louis ever anywhere? I don't know, people to meet, souls to take?"

"Right. You do remember my powers don't work on a lot of creatures, Death included?"

"Hm," Zayn said and touched his nape with a warm finger. "I don't know. Depends on which powers." 

Harry smirked at him and pushed him against the building they were passing. He pressed his whole body against Zayn's, touching from toes to lips, but not kissing. 

"There are people," Zayn said. 

Harry popped a button of Zayn's jeans open. "They'll enjoy it." 

"Maybe I don't want them to."

Harry pulled the zipper down. 

"Do you not?" 

Zayn just smiled, because they both knew he didn't care either way. 

Harry dropped to his knees. 

A man stopped near them, staring lovingly, and Harry looked up at Zayn, with hands on his hips, waiting. 

Zayn shook his head. 

With a sigh, Harry stood up and zipped him back up. He shivered when Zayn kissed a tender spot under his jaw. "I know you love it when I tell you no. You'll keep. Besides, now you have all this frustration to use on Louis. Good luck." He bit into the skin and Harry closed his eyes and moaned, just in time for the tug in his stomach which told him he'd been thrown into Germany. 

**

"Hi. I see you were with Zayn." 

Harry's butt was in something wet and when he opened his eyes he saw a busy street in front of him. He was sitting on a doorstep, with Louis pressed close to him. He leaned his head on Louis'. 

"Are you wearing a shirt with a skull on it?" Harry asked.

"It's Misfits." 

Harry sighed. "Will there be a crash?" 

"Yeah."

"Gross one?" 

"Probably."

Just then, a bike got caught between a truck and a car and a chain reaction of crashes started. When it was over, in that moment of silence before the screaming started, Harry knew at least three people would die. 

Louis was waiting. "So, why are you here?" he asked Harry.

"Someone is about to die, soon, and they want you to leave his soul here, for a while." 

Louis moved his head from under his and looked at him, incredulous. He didn't say anything before he got up to pick up the first soul. A ghost of a young woman walked out from the car, scared, until she saw Louis. Then she smiled and let him hold her hand until she turned into a small ball of sparkling colors, a universe of its own.

Harry watched him release it. The explosion of colors was always beautiful, but some people had shades that made them infinitely more interesting. Louis explained the difference wasn't based on what they were like or what they did, but how much they were truly loved. And true love wasn't as common as people liked to think. 

Harry wondered, if his soul could be taken, if it would have any color at all. 

"Anyone else and I would be punching you in the face right now. But I guess that's why they sent you, Key."

"My name is Harry," he frowned. But Louis knew that well, he only called him Key when he was aiming to hurt. "And my powers don't work on you." 

Louis tapped his Vans against the pavement and then walked away for the second soul. 

"I'm sorry," he said when he came back. "I didn't think you were messing with me." 

Harry accepted the apology, he knew Louis didn't give them away easily. 

"Do you know why they want this?"

"No. I got only a part of the file. Only what I'm supposed to do. Get you to agree, and get the dead man's boyfriend to give me his diary." 

Louis quirked an eyebrow at him. "He has a diary?" 

Harry shrugged. "I guess." 

Louis knelt on the pavement in front of Harry's feet. He leaned a bit to kiss Harry's knee through the jeans. They smiled at each other when he looked back up. Harry opened his legs a bit so Louis could crawl between. 

They kissed deep, teeth scraping and tongues greedy. Harry's hands found Louis' hips and held him close while Louis tugged on his curls, changing the angle of the kiss any way he wanted to. 

Around them was chaos. People shouting and ambulance siren, metal being broken open. Harry was used to peace and quiet, but this was Louis' everyday life, and whenever they met, it was the same. Sirens, Harry thought, were at least better than bombs.

** 

They walked down to the river bank when Louis was done with the car crash. Harry had been wrong, he took four souls. 

"I have nothing to go on. Do you trust them?" Louis asked eventually.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know anything. But maybe..." he bit his lip. Disobedience was a part of him, his entire life was going against someone's wishes. It was just, usually they thanked him. Usually they thought he was the best, even when he destroyed their lives completely. Zayn's bosses - he refused to call them his too - were under no such illusion. "Maybe we could find out." 

Louis took his hand. "And Zayn?" 

"We were always partners in crime, right?" Zayn appeared right behind Louis scaring him into actually jumping. 

"You bastard!" 

Zayn just smiled at him. "So you want to go meet the future dead guy?" 

Louis looked at his watch. "I have to do something else first. Pick me up in an hour." 

Zayn nodded and pulled himself and Harry on an empty field somewhere, where they could kill an hour. 

**

Louis looked them both over with a smirk when they were all back together. He pulled a leaf from Harry's hair. Zayn tsked at him and Harry realized Zayn knew the leaf was there all along.

"So the dead guy," he reminded them. 

"Right, Niall Horan, 24, about to be very dead from unknown but violent causes," Zayn recited from memory.

"Unknown?" Louis stopped him.

"That's what the file said."

"That's not possible." 

Zayn shrugged at him. "Sorry, that's what I got." 

"Fine," Louis said, clearly frustrated, "let's go." 

**

Niall and his boyfriend lived on the third floor of a perfectly normal building in a not too good, not too bad part of Manchester. They had both finished university, both had alright but not particularly well paid starting jobs in their preferred careers. They met up with their friends on Friday nights at the pub and cuddled together on the couch on Saturday nights. They loved their families, talked to them weekly, were kind to animals and barely ever passed a homeless person without giving them some change. They were the nice side of completely average. 

None of which explained Niall's frown upon opening his door and seeing Harry. 

_No one_ frowned at Harry. Harry was the Skeleton Key, which meant that not only were all doors open to him, but all humans loved him instantly, unquestioningly. 

"Can I help you?" Niall asked.

The phrase Harry was more used to was similar: " _how_ can I help you?" which implied that of course they would, they would do anything for Harry, he just had to tell them what he wanted, exactly. Or vaguely, it didn't really matter. "Can I help you?" was… suspicious. 

It was unexpected and it took Harry a bit to find the perfect excuse. "Yes, hi, hello. My name is Harry and this is my friend, Zayn. We were wondering if you heard about Jes…" And then he stopped, because Niall turned his head a bit to the right and, still frowning, looked straight at Louis. 

All mortal creatures, human, supernatural, alien, whatever or whoever they were - if they could die, they couldn't see Louis. Because seeing Death, even in too tight jeans and ripped shirts, would be scary for anyone who could die. 

So, if Niall could see Louis, it meant he was immortal. Which would make his death… complicated. 

**

"Did you just ask me if I heard about Jesus?" Niall asked in a lovely Irish accent suddenly looking back at Harry. 

Harry grinned widely and said "Yes!" just as Zayn denied it behind him. 

"Right. Um." 

"Who is it, love?" a man stood behind Niall with a pleasant smile and leaned his chin on Niall's shoulder. 

Harry knew from his file that this was Liam Payne, the boyfriend, who he would have to charm for the diary. He, at least, got that obedient glazed look when he saw Harry. Only… it faltered, after a second or two, he shook his head and frowned, suddenly gripping Niall's hand hard. 

"They were just asking if we knew about Jesus." 

"Oh." Liam frowned again and lifted their hands, still together. "We do. We're not really his type, apparently." 

"Oh no," Harry rushed to say. "He's not an arsehole like that. He doesn't care. What does it matter anyway, in the greatness of the Universe, you know?"

Liam and Niall blinked at him in a way that said they had no idea what so ever. 

"It's like…" 

"Give it up," Zayn said with a hand on his shoulder. 

"Right. Well, sorry to have bothered you. If you change your mind, we'll be around." 

"What? No we won't," Louis said and pushed him down the hall. 

"Or, no we won't. Bye!" Harry yelled back at Liam and Niall while he was being dragged away. 

**

"What was that?" Louis asked when they were back in front of the building. 

"Jesus is an important figure to human cultural…"

"Not _that_ ," Louis stopped him, "I literally never want to talk about that. He looked at me, didn't he? He saw me?" 

Zayn and Harry both nodded.

"Sooo…" 

"He's immortal," Zayn finished for Louis.

"And he's about to die." Harry concluded.

"But what is he?" 

"I have no idea," Harry said, "but Liam is definitely human, but when he was touching Niall he was immune to me too." 

"I don't like this," Louis finally said. "And I want to see how he dies." 

"Well, it's happening this Tuesday at 14:56," Zayn said, "so, we can be back here around two, I guess, but I don't know where we're supposed to hide if he can see you and he's immune to Harry." 

"Do we just let him die?" Harry asked.

"I think we have to." 

Even Louis nodded. 

**

Thieves paid the least and always tried to trick him, even though they loved him. Still, Harry enjoyed museums and walking through them when they were empty and dark was a special kind of pleasure. He opened the doors to Doha's Museum of Islamic Art and let the woman who hired him do what she came to do, then just walked around for the next few hours, enjoying the place free of tourists. 

Zayn was waiting for him when he came out. The past few days seemed so ordinary, compared to what they were about to do, and Harry wasn't sure any more that he wanted to poke. Thought, maybe, it would be best to just do as they were told and leave it alone. 

It was Louis' face when he joined them, worried and unhappy, that reminded him bad things were happening whether he thought about them or not. 

**

They sat in the hallway in front of Niall's apartment at 2pm. He was inside, they could hear him singing along to the radio. Liam wasn't in, Zayn did a quick check. 

Louis was tapping his feet together nervously until Harry and Zayn sat on either side of him and squeezed him so hard with their bodies he just gave up and let them hug him. 

Harry's job was a mercenary one, he went where the money took him. Zayn worked for a powerful otherworldly organization that liked to pretend they were in charge of destinies. And Louis did his job all over the world, with the help of thousands of minions. They saw each other often, but Harry always wanted more. Before they became friends they were all enemies, each thinking they fought for something. 

It was at some point when Mongols were starting to build their empire and all three of them, along with so many others, were told to step back and do nothing, that they realized they were just pawns, something Louis always knew about himself. They called him Death, but he was just a vessel, a middle man. He didn't kill anyone, he couldn't decide if it was anyone's time to go. He could just witness it and move on. Zayn, too, was used to giving the information but never participating in the events.

It wasn't like that for Harry. He changed things, made a difference and every time he was stopped, every time he was ordered to back down and do nothing, horrible things happened. But there was always "destiny", always things that _needed_ to happen. 

Harry didn't believe in destiny. 

Niall died at 14:56 of unknown but violent causes. 

At 14:54 Louis stood up with his fists clenched and stared at the door. 

At 14:55 there was a loud "clap" from Niall's apartment. The radio kept playing.

At 14:57 an angry looking Niall walked through the door and frowned at the three of them. 

"What just happened?" 

"You died," Harry offered. 

"Did you… with the Jesus thing, is that why…" Niall couldn't finish his question but his fists were clenched as tight as Louis'.

"No! No, I promise. We don't know how you died," Harry said. 

"It was War," Louis interrupted. 

Harry blinked. "No. What? Why?" 

"I don't think War bothers with killing lone people in their flats, Louis," Zayn said, his voice calm but Harry could see not knowing all the facts was terrifying him. 

"I fucking know my own sister, okay? She was here, she killed him and I have no idea why. What are you, anyway?" he asked Niall.

"What am I? Apparently I'm a fucking ghost now!" 

"Yeah but that's not _all_ you are, because you're immortal, aren't you?" 

Niall looked at Louis like they were speaking different languages. "I just got killed. _Clearly_ I'm not immortal." 

Zayn walked up to him and sniffed his hair. "Angel." 

Harry felt his jaw drop. "No way." 

"I know an angel when I smell one," Zayn said. 

"Good job, that," Louis commented and Harry nodded at him. Typical Zayn. 

"I'm not an angel," Niall finally said. 

"You really are, love," Zayn corrected him. 

"Let's go in and see what we can find." Harry opened the door and walked in, ignoring Niall's protests. "Hey, where do you keep your diary?" 

"I'm not telling you!" 

"Well if you don't tell me I'm gonna have to charm your boyfriend to give it to me and that's a bit creepy, to be honest." 

Niall jumped, ran and slammed his whole body against Harry's sending them flying into the next room where Niall's body, violently dead, lay. Harry quickly covered ghost Niall's eyes. He didn't need to see that, it was probably traumatic. 

"We need your diary," Zayn said, shaking his head at Harry who was refusing to let Niall look and was starting to drag him out of the room. 

"Who the hell are you!?" Niall shouted angrily into Harry's shoulder.

"Oh, so sorry." They were finally in the other room so Harry removed his hand from Niall's eyes. "That's Louis, he's Death, but don't worry, he's really nice." Louis frowned at him. "That's Zayn, he's a messenger. And I'm Harry, I'm the Skeleton Key." 

"Great. That's some impressive fairytale bullshit. And I'm Niall, the Angel." Harry could hear the ironic capital A in his voice and didn't correct him. 

"Liam's coming back," Zayn informed the room. Calling him a messenger was maybe underplaying it. 

Niall's eyes went wide and panicky as he looked around the flat. "No, no he can't see this. He's gonna freak out, please, please do something!?" 

"Okay," Harry put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm gonna talk to him, but you need to stay away from him until I tell you otherwise, because my powers don't work if you're touching him." 

Niall nodded, still frantic and not really understanding, and thanked him. "Tell him I here, please, okay, I don't want him to think I'm gone. Please." 

Liam pushed the door in just then, surprised to see it open, but then he caught sight of Harry and his eyes glazed over. He smiled pleasantly when Harry walked over to him. 

"Hi, Liam, do you remember me?" 

"You're the man who wanted to talk to us about Jesus." 

"I am. But I'm not here about that today. Why don't you sit down, I have something important to tell you." 

Liam dropped his bag and jacket on the floor and sat down. Harry caught Niall frowning at him. 

"Listen, this is a bit complicated, but I need you to remember what I tell you now, and not freak out later, can you do that?" 

Liam nodded but Harry wasn't convinced. 

"Niall's body is in that room behind us, dead." 

Liam's eyes lost the glaze for just a moment and he shook his head hard, his breathing speeding up, but Harry leaned in quickly and cupped his face making him hiccup and look up at Harry adoringly, without a care in the world. 

"But it's ok, because that's just his body. He's still here, he's looking at you, we can talk to him, maybe even you can. I just need you to not freak out, okay, love? He's gonna put his hand on your shoulder now," Harry nodded at Niall to come closer, "and hopefully it'll still work, you'll be able to see me normally. Okay?" 

Liam nodded, still happy, and Harry removed his hand, letting Niall touch him instead. 

The change was instant. Liam jumped up, backed away, cursed and tried to look into the room behind Harry. Niall held on to him all that time. 

"Liam, Liam try to remember, okay? What I just told you." 

"He's dead! You… Oh god he's…" Liam tried to push by Harry but both he and Niall stopped him. 

"Just his body. Come on, you can feel him, feel his hand on your shoulder, you know you can." 

Liam stopped, took a breath and collapsed back into the chair. Niall held him with both hands now, one on his shoulder, the other on his nape and Liam got his own hand up, found exactly where Niall's fingers were and twined them together, just like the first time Harry saw them. 

Zayn sighed behind him.

**

Liam's eyes were red but he listened as Harry repeated Niall's words at him and answered his questions. He could hear Louis and Zayn behind him all along, whispering together. 

Louis tapped Harry on the shoulder and Liam blinked confused when Harry smiled seemingly at the ceiling. "I'm gonna go talk to Lottie, see what the hell this was about, I'm not sending Niall away, yet, but I'm still not sure I approve of this. 

"Yeah, okay. Good luck. No but hey, wait, what do we do with the body?" Harry's question got Liam to get up again. 

"I should call the cops." Liam said.

"No," Zayn stopped him, "I'm gonna take care of this. You should all go somewhere. Harry can get you a nice room in a hotel or something. Right?" 

Harry nodded. "Yeah, let's get you a place to stay." Zayn brought Liam a few things from the bedroom he would need for a few days and they put them in a bag. 

There was just one more thing Harry needed to do. "Niall, I really need your diary." 

Niall bit his lip but told Zayn where to find it. 

Zayn gave the notebook to Harry and whispered for him to stay with Niall and Liam for a while, maybe go through the diary, he would find them if he needed them. 

**

Harry got them an apartment in a five star hotel, because why not. It was comfortable and spacious, with a huge TV Liam and Niall were pretending to watch while actually desperately holding on to each other on the bed. 

Harry was trying to read the diary but every time he looked up he would get distracted by Liam's sad face, pressed to Niall's collarbone. His fingers kept finding new patches of Niall's skin or threads of hair he would rub for a really long time, like he was trying to touch them into visibility. 

"Am I going insane?" Liam suddenly asked after maybe an hour of neither of them doing what they were pretending to.

Niall looked up at Harry and shook his head, like Harry would actually lie for some reason. 

"No, love, you're just learning new things."

Liam laughed quietly. "I don't remember geography making me feel like this." 

Harry smiled when Niall cracked up at Liam's joke. "You made Niall laugh." 

"He always had the worst sense of humor." 

Niall flicked Liam's ear.

**

Niall's diary didn't open Harry's eyes to anything new. It looked like a regular notebook, filled with everyday thoughts and some lyrics - including one, yes, about angels but Harry couldn't find anything specific about it - but really most of it was about Liam. Some of it would have made Harry blush, if he hasn't seen pretty much everything humanity had to offer. As it was, it just made him look at the couple on the bed with more sympathy. 

Liam turned to him when he felt him watching. "I have to pee," he said like a child asking for permission. "I kinda wanna do it alone but I don't want to be hypnotized by you when Niall lets go. Can you, you know, turn it off?"

"Not really, sorry, but it's okay, you'll just like me a bit more, I'm not gonna make you do anything, promise." 

Liam sighed but got off the bed. The moment the contact broke, the familiar look fell over Liam's face. Harry smiled at him but didn't say anything so Liam just went to the bathroom. 

"I hate that he's like that around you," Niall said, biting his lip.

"Sorry, I really can't help it." 

"Nah, it's ok. You're a charming fucker anyway." 

Harry laughed. It was good to hear from someone not affected. 

"I can't find anything relevant in your diary." 

"Yeah, I don't know what you're supposed to read there. I'm pretty boring." 

"You're an immortal angel." 

Niall frowned. "Well, other than that. Which, how much can we trust your unnaturally beautiful friend? 

"He is as knowledgeable as he is beautiful." 

"Hm. I don't have any magical powers." 

"How do you know?" 

"Liam is very big on dishes being washed daily, trust me, I know." 

Harry cracked up again. 

When Liam came out of the bathroom he stood by Harry and looked at him for a while, slightly confused. "I know who you are, and I still want to do everything to make you happy. This is horrible for my head," he said and ran back to Niall, breathing deeply when their hands touched again. 

But for Harry, that too had never happened before. Logic just wasn't something people used much around him. 

"You're actually doing much better than most people," he comforted Liam. 

"How do most people act?" 

"They don't really think, the only thing they want is to make me happy and do what I tell them." 

"That sounds amazing," Niall said.

"That sounds terrifying," Liam said. 

**

Zayn popped into the room much later, when all three of them were on the bed together this time actually watching a movie. Harry got better at just repeating everything Niall said, and Liam got better at differentiating between what Harry was saying and what he was just repeating. 

Zayn sat on a chair next to the bed and put his feet up on Harry's lap. "What're watching?" 

Harry tickled his feet. "Batman. Where's Louis?" 

"Who's Louis?" Liam asked.

Harry realized they hadn't mentioned him before and he explained while Zayn tried to find Louis.

Unfortunately, Zayn had no idea where Louis was. Harry could see how much it upset him because Louis rarely disappeared somewhere Zayn couldn't find him. In fact, it only happened when he met one of his sisters and _that_ always meant trouble. 

**

Two days later, Zayn had read through the diary three times, Niall was getting incredibly restless and Liam was starting to develop some sort of immunity to Harry's powers. Louis was still nowhere to be found. 

The hotel made incredible cakes and Harry enjoyed them greatly, but he wanted Louis back somewhere safe, where Zayn could keep an eye on him, shamefully, much more than he wanted answers to Niall's questions. 

"I'm gonna go find him," Harry finally said. 

"I'm coming with you," Zayn announced. 

Liam looked at them both and asked if he could come too. Harry had no idea where he was even starting. Some places were definitely not made for human form. 

"I want to help," Niall told them. 

"We're not looking for him here, we're going…" Harry pointed at the sky even though it wasn't technically placed there. Living around people too long just left him with human mannerisms. 

"Maybe I don't have any powers here but will in, wherever you all come from." 

"Wait," Liam stopped them all. "Is there a god? I just, if he's an angel and there are ‘other places'... how have I not realized this before. Are you seriously telling me there's a god!?" 

"I mean, god per se…" Harry took a deep breath but Zayn placed a hand over his mouth. 

"It's complicated. I'm not even kidding. So just, let's not. I need to be high as a kite to hear this speech again and not try to kill him." 

"As fucking if, Messenger." Harry slobbered all over Zayn's hand and only got an eyebrow quirked at him for it. 

"Don't ever call me that, Key." 

"Okay, okay. So, the angel could come, but the human?" Harry asked doubtfully.

"Hey, maybe he's okay as long as I hold his hand," Niall said.

"Maybe," Zayn said. "But if he's not, he might actually die." 

Niall bit his lip. 

"I think you should stay with them," Harry told Zayn. 

He got a sigh in reply but eventually everyone agreed, until Liam interrupted to remind them he could only hear about two thirds of the conversation they had. 

**

Skeleton Key powers didn't work on all supernatural creatures, but they worked on _all_ doors and entrances, _everywhere_. I was part of the reason Harry moved to Earth eventually. The damage he could to there was limited. 

 

Still, he threaded carefully through the other worlds, unsure of what was going on, where Louis was or why War was involved. He knew where to go to find an exit and he knew there was no way of locking him up or restraining him and there were still a few creatures who could fall under his power, but he worried anyway. 

Some creatures hated him just because of who he was and that was animosity he was used to. He didn't feel anything more personal as he searched for Louis. On one hand, he was happy no one was actively stopping him. On the other, no one could or would help him either. His search became a mindless quest of just "going everywhere" and "checking everything". It was exhausting.

It took him days. He wasn't hoping for anything when he opened an old door in a field of fog. He could barely see the house it was attached to. 

On the other side was Louis, laying limp on the floor, curled protectively over Lottie. Harry called for Zayn quickly and he appeared in a just a few moments. The room was well lit and he looked at the walls quickly before he came over to try and help Louis and his sister. 

"Angel symbols. Someone thinks they are fighting a good fight," he said. "The symbols are keeping them asleep, let's get them out." 

"Where do we go?" Harry asked.

"My place," Zayn said. 

**

Harry sat on the comfortable swing on Zayn's terrace, Louis' head in his lap as they swung slowly. The ocean before them seemed endless. Inside, Liam was making tea and Niall paced, restless. Lottie and Zayn were talking. 

"This is such shit," Louis would say every few minutes. 

"I know, love," Harry would reply and kiss his shoulder. 

When Zayn and Lottie were done they came over and Louis sat up so there was more room. Niall and Liam came out with their own chairs and tea. Louis tried the tea and gave Liam a speculative look before he continued drinking, apparently satisfied. 

"I'm so sorry, Niall. I didn't want to kill you, that's not what I do at all. But I have my instructions, like everyone, and I knew your death would start an epic war."

Louis wrapped an arm around her and hugged her close. 

"I didn't start a war, though." Niall said.

"We think that's why Louis was asked to keep you here longer, because once you pass on, you'll remember whatever it is you forgot, and, well. We don't know what will happen then," Zayn told him. 

Niall blinked. "So if I just stay like this, nothing happens? We can all just live on?"

"You could just stay forever invisible to your boyfriend, yeah," Louis said. "You could just cling to him like a shadow for the rest of his life never allowing either of you to move on. I guess."

Harry bit his shoulder lightly, asking him to stop. Louis pushed his face into Harry's curls and kept quiet. 

Niall's breath hitched, for the first time since this all started and his eyes became red and watery. Liam hugged him. He couldn't hear or see Louis but he glared in his direction anyway, knowing who was to blame for Niall's shaking frame.

"I didn't mean it was hopeless," Louis started, unsure. "If you pass, if you remember, you could still fix it." 

Niall noded and let Zayn wipe away his tears. "I want to say goodbye to him. Just in case. Harry would you…" 

So Harry and Niall took Liam down to the beach, and Harry told Liam that Niall loved him and was doing this for them and would be back, he promised, he would fix it. 

Liam hugged him tight and kissed him again and let him go. Niall's colors, when Louis let him pass, were the most beautiful Harry had ever seen. He wished Liam could see them, see the trace his love made. But he couldn't and Zayn's couch soaked up his tears until Harry couldn't stand it any more and he hugged Liam tight, letting him cry on him instead. He only realized much later that Liam didn't react to his touch with a mindless smile. 

**

Louis was talking to Liam. 

Harry stepped out to the terrace where Liam was leaning on the fence with his head tilted and a deep frown on his face.

It was the next day, Lottie was gone and Liam had decided he was done crying. His face was still a little puffy but his eyes were dry. 

"Can you hear him?" Harry asked Liam.

"I can hear something. It's… kind of annoying. Is that… Death?" 

"No, that's just Louis." That earned him a punch to the arm from Louis. 

"Louis is Death, though, right?" Liam asked, unsure.

"He is, but we all prefer names to Armageddon titles." 

"Oh. What's he saying?" 

Harry looked at Louis. "What do you hear?" 

Liam blushed a little and looked away. "I don't want to assume, I don't know."

"Well, he's saying he's sorry." 

"Oh. Yeah. That's what I thought. I don't think he should be sorry." 

"Maybe not, but he is anyway." 

Liam reached out until his hand hit Louis' chest, then he stopped, like he could feel it. "It's okay. Niall will fix it. We just have to wait." 

**

The underground Casino in Ikebukuro was busy all day and all night. With no windows or clocks, time became irrelevant. Harry walked in and talked to the man in charge. He found the man he was looking for, took him out and left him with the father of the boy that the man had killed recently. Harry sucked at Mahjong but no one really cared. They laughed with him when he lost and forgave him when he couldn't pay. The few supernaturals that had been there when he came in rolled their eyes but didn't make trouble for him. 

**

The lady at the counter insisted on giving him the burgers for free and Harry felt bad enough that he left her a tip to cover twice as much. He smiled at the security on the the entrance to the big building and all the way up to Liam's floor, where he was busy alphabetizing old records. They ate together and Harry told Liam about other worlds, how different time passed in them, how it was usually longer, but sometimes shorter, and they had no idea where Niall was and how time passed for him. Liam nodded and asked about Harry's work. Harry got the hint. 

Liam was staying at Zayn's, in Bali, but he still worked in Manchester. Zayn provided the commute. He hadn't wanted to go back to his and Niall's flat, but Harry made sure they kept it anyway. Well, Harry wanted to let them keep it for free, but Liam insisted on paying because apparently the landlord had to eat too. 

Time was always a bit fluid for Zayn, Louis and Harry, but they all tried to spend a bit of every day with Liam. Liam admitted he could hear Louis better each day, but he wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. 

**

The pavement was hard on his face but Harry was too drunk to care. Luckily, Zayn was there to pick him up and take him home, to Zayn's home, which smelled like ocean and Zayn and Louis, the best combination. He put Harry to bed and kissed him asleep. 

Harry woke up dizzy, not used to sleeping. It passed as the smell of tea reached him and he felt Louis, definitely Louis, nipping his neck. Zayn brought the tea closer, sat on the bed near Harry and waited for his eyes to open. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. Zayn knew, he was the one to deliver the message. _"Don't get involved."_ Harry could have done something for that country, could have saved a whole lot of people, instead he was told to go home, forget about it. His stomach churned again. Zayn pushed the tea under his nose. 

"I'm sorry." 

"Yeah." Harry drank the tea half lying, letting Louis touch him all over, until Zayn joined in, until they took him apart enough to pretend he forgot. 

**

"Are you and Zayn and Louis all… you know?" 

Harry made his own sandwiches this time and Liam was photocopying what seemed to be a hundred different documents, stapled into small piles. 

"We are." 

Liam looked at him like he was trying hard not to judge. "And you're all okay with that?" 

Harry beamed at him. "Better than okay." 

Liam laughed. "I can't imagine sharing Niall." His voice didn't break, but Harry could tell the effort it took.

"It's not about sharing, we all have each other. It's more, not less." 

He hugged Liam before he started crying this time. 

**

Harry didn't often need to make an effort. So when he did, he always tried to go the extra mile. That was why he knew ridiculously insignificant details about the lives of people he cared about.

Take Zayn for instance. His love for solitude and knowledge were well known but Harry also knew about his love of sleep, unusual in the supernatural community which normally needed very little or no sleep. He had also perfected the gentlest and most effective wake up method. (It consisted of sliding into bed with Zayn very early on and slowly worming under his body to end up hugged by him, then napping together until Zayn gave up and started kissing. Harry swore by it, Louis could just shut up with his opinions.) 

Louis, on the other hand, was secretly a caretaker. It was strange because he was Death so people expected a wise old man or a horrible monster, when Louis was open, loud, and only sometimes harsh. He also, by virtue of his work, didn't actually care about a lot of people. So they often didn't realize how very much he _could_ care for someone. That was why Harry very graciously allowed Louis to care for him whenever Louis needed it. Sometimes he cared by being a distraction, other times by being an anchor. Louis always knew which would work best. 

So Harry was surprised one day when he realized he was paying attention to Liam the same way. From learning his favorite sandwich combination to figuring out when it was alright to mention Niall and when he should avoid the topic completely. 

Liking Liam wasn't hard; he started out being as closed and quiet as Zayn, but as time went on and he could hear Louis more, he started joining Louis in various mischief, including tickling Harry and trying to startle Zayn. Not an easy feat, that last one. 

Some days Liam would still glaze over when he saw Harry. But he could snap out of it pretty fast and Harry made sure not to talk to him when he was like that. 

It felt good, learning about Liam, but Harry worried what would happen when Niall came back or, worse, if Liam gave up waiting. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't stop himself loving Liam. 

**

Sometimes work was pure pleasure. Like for instance, when he got to stop corrupt businessmen who forgot to delete all of their crimes from their computers. Harry typed in the password. It didn't matter what he typed, it would be the right one. (He had wondered, when computers first started, if they would somehow be resistant to him. They weren't.)

A few folders and some mail digging later and he had evidence on everything the guy ever did to be, well, not put away, but removed from his position forever. 

Harry avoided the guards and left through a back exit, dropping the USB in the prearranged rubbish bin at 2AM exactly. He met Louis with a smile on his face and pulled him in for a kiss. Louis' fingers curled into his hair and tugged, just enough to make Harry moan happily. 

"Your hair is getting ridiculous." 

Harry shrugged, then shook his head so his hair hit Louis' face. "You're getting ridiculous." 

"What a comeback. No wonder everyone worships you." 

"It's working on you." 

"Well I'm too easy, ain't I?" 

Harry hummed, pressing his nose against Louis' neck. 

"Are you sniffing me?"

"You're not easy." 

"I'm easy for you, you monster. Stop sniffing me."

"I don't think you are easy for me." Harry had no idea why it bothered him, it was probably meant to be a compliment. 

"You and Zayn, actually." Louis poked him. 

Harry kissed the skin that smelled so good to him. He wasn't just some Skeleton Key, he had a name and he had Louis and Zayn who could say no to him. 

Louis pulled on his hair until Harry looked up, annoyed. "You're too tall to be shy, love, stand up straight before I have to reap you just to save you." 

Harry laughed and it rang down the empty street, making an angry man yell at them from a dark window. They ran towards a nearby park and kissed until Zayn picked them up.

**

"Jack from the office asked me out on a date." 

"What?" Harry thought he heard wrong. 

"Jack," Liam slammed his tea cup on the table, "from the office asked me out on a date." 

Zayn's hand was already on his shoulder, dragging him into a hug when Liam took a deep breath and said, "Maybe I should go." 

Louis threw a chair into a wall and walked out. Harry bit his lip. 

"Do you want to?" Zayn asked. "It's okay if you do, Louis will get over himself." 

"No, Jack's a twat and smells like boiled raspberries. But maybe it would force me to face reality. It's been nine months, he's not coming back."

"Time is different where he is." Zayn reminded him. 

"Time is _longer_ there. Harry told me, remember?" 

"Not always," Louis shouted from the other room, "and he passed fucking on, we don't know what it's like there!"

"I can't hear you!" Liam shouted back. 

Harry told him what Louis had said and Liam just shrugged.

"Then maybe he can't come back, even if he wants to." There was another pause in which no one said anything. Liam continued. "I started seeing a shrink. I think maybe I came home one day and found Niall dead and I made everything else up." 

"You're not crazy," said Harry. 

"Said the Skeleton Key."

Harry flinched and Liam reached out to him. "I don't mean it in a bad way, just, in my world, you can't exist." 

Harry nodded. It still hurt. 

"Do you talk about us to the shrink? " Zayn asked in a serious voice. 

"No," Liam huffed, "I'm potentially crazy, not stupid." 

Louis came back and sat on another chair, nodding when Zayn told him he owed him a new one. 

"Well think of it this way, does it really matter if you're crazy?" 

"Now I just _wish_ I couldn't hear you."

"No, listen to me. If you came back there and found his body you would have called the cops. You would have been the primary suspect. With no defence other than "his ghost is talking to me" you are now either in prison or in a hospital. In this reality you have three friends and a hope."

Liam stared at the place the voice was coming from, as Harry noticed him do before, for a long while before he finally laughed, a bit hysterical.

**

Liam told Jack no, but Harry didn't want to risk anything so he had a little talk with raspberries Jack himself. Later Liam told them Jack had started avoiding any room he was in and went out of his way to not pass him in the hallway. Harry made a sound that he hoped was similar to surprise. 

If the way Louis choked across the table was any indication, he failed. 

**

Zayn was alone down on the beach when Harry came home one day, sleeping with his head on his elbow and letting the sun beat on his back. 

Harry took all his clothes off quickly and joined him, popping his head on the curve of Zayn's back. He got a sleepy hum as a hello and when he extended his arm to Zayn's shoulder, warm lips kissed his fingers. 

The sun, smell of salt and Zayn's warm skin got him almost dozing, until Zayn finally moved, turning until Harry's head was on his belly. Harry couldn't help but move and kiss it. It was an adorable belly. 

Zayn dragged his fingers through Harry's hair, scratching his scalp lightly. 

"How are you doing with all of this, Hazza?" he asked. 

"All of this?" It was a huge question, Harry needed it to be narrowed down. 

"Being in one place, with Louis and me, and Liam, here every day. It's not exactly traveling the world being a petty criminal." 

"Excuse me? Petty?" 

Zayn just smirked.

"I like having you and Louis, _and Liam_ here every day." 

"But?" 

"No ‘but', but a ‘just'." 

Zayn tightened the hold on his hair in warning.

"Just I really like it," Harry said and hid his face in Zayn's skin.

Zayn used his hair to tug him up, so their faces were just centimeters apart. "We're always here, babe, we always want you. You're the one conquering the world and we don't want to be in your way."

"Oh. And Louis too?" 

"Yes," Zayn nodded.

"I'm not conquering the world. And I want you with me if I am." 

Zayn smiled at him, the beautiful, happy smile not everyone got to see. 

"Well good, we want to be there with you." 

Harry wasn't sure what Zayn told Louis but when he showed up next day Louis dragged them both into Zayn's bedroom and didn't stop grinning as he gave out orders they both happily followed. 

**

It was one year, three months and 16 days after Niall passed. Liam was "teaching" Louis about pop music and Louis was arguing 1980's punk, while Zayn and Harry made out on the swing. 

A large thunder was heard just before the skies went dark. Liam and Louis ran out and they all stared as a huge bird of some sort started descending straight at them. 

As it came closer they realized it was in fact a flying horse - a large, white horse with wings. A dark hooded figure was on top of it, holding an actual flaming sword. Harry swallowed. That did not look good. 

The horse stopped in front of the terrace and the sword, flames and all, was pointed directly at Harry. 

The figure pulled the hood up to reveal Niall with an angry scowl. 

"Hand him over peacefully and no one has to die." 

"Niall!" Liam ran up to Harry and stood between him and the sword. 

Niall's smile was nothing like the ones Harry was used to. "There you are. You're coming with me, you have a lot to answer for!"

Liam turned his shocked eyes at Harry just as Niall tried to grab him up. Louis ran between them all, pushed Liam away and grabbed Niall's hand. The sword caught Louis' thigh and his clothes started burning, but he didn't let go until Niall tumbled off the horse onto the terrace and landed directly on Louis.

"I warned you!" Niall shouted and brought the sword up again. All three of them jumped him then. They pushed the sword away and pinned him to the floor. He fought hard, stronger than each of them individually. Liam held him down with his whole weight while Zayn and Harry grabbed his arms. 

"Niall, please stop, please," Liam kept repeating.

"You!" Niall finally noticed him talking. "You will pay for what you did. You took me from my army, you destroyed my life, but I will make you suffer for it!" 

Liam looked at him, his hands on Niall's chest and eyes earnest. "That's not what happened. We met in university, we went for coffee, we talked for hours, we were together, by choice." 

Niall stopped struggling. "What are you on about? I don't go to university, I'm an _angel_!" 

"I know, but you also… weren't?" Liam sighed and looked up at Harry. "I didn't, I swear." 

"We know," Zayn said. 

Louis moved closer now, his skin healed but his clothes mostly hanging off him. "What the fuck, mate? Why do you want to kill us?" 

Niall huffed and stopped struggling. "Not all of you, just him," he glared at Liam. 

"But I didn't," Liam said sadly.

"Don't lie!" Niall spit out. 

"Niall," Zayn looked down at him. "He's not lying, come on, how does a human capture an angel?" 

"There are spells." 

"He's not a witch, though, you could feel it if he were." 

Niall frowned. "Maybe he's hiding it." 

"He's not. Look, you don't remember us but you know who we all are, right? You know we don't play games, or take sides. So, would you just talk to us, before you decide to kill anyone, please?" 

Niall thought about it for a long time, looking at every one of them but Liam. Eventually he nodded.

**

They told him their side of the story.

"Even if he had kidnapped you, somehow, he couldn't have made you love him against your will. And Niall, mate, you loved him," Louis said. 

Liam was sitting near them but not looking at anyone, like it wasn't his life being decided on. Harry understood. 

"Could you tell us what happened to you, after you passed?" Zayn asked.

"I don't remember passing. I remember being given an army, a war was coming and we were getting ready. I was sent to earth, to find someone, and then… the next thing I know, I was back, and over a decade had passed but they, they waited for me. They needed me and… the person I was supposed to get. But I don't know who it was any more. But we couldn't win the war without him." Niall was pressing his hands together. 

"From before, I don't remember much, just Liam's face. They told me who he was, what he did. There is no other explanation, I would never have abandoned my army." 

"Liam," Louis called, "would you just talk to him?" 

"I can't hear you," Liam whispered. 

"Right." 

"I mean, you remember my face!" Liam turned around, and where Harry thought he was sad, it turned out he was furious. "Do you remember my face as I beat you, or chained you, or tried to kill you? What!? Or do you remember my face after the first time we kissed, or when we went to the park and talked about adopting, or when you met my mother and told me you loved me!? What do you remember about my face!?" 

"You talked about adopting, maybe siblings, right?" Harry said. He knew that story. Why did he know that? "The diary!" 

Zayn was already up, going to search for the notebook no one had opened in months. When he found it, he gave it straight to Niall. "Here, in your own words, read it, please." 

**

They left Niall alone and sat around Liam in the kitchen. Louis was walking around kicking things while Zayn did something calming to Harry's hair. Probably braiding it. Harry was holding Liam close.

The only thing they could hear from the other room was slow turn of pages. 

They didn't hear Niall until he walked into the kitchen, clutching the notebook. He walked straight to Liam, looking upset, but Liam didn't flinch or step back. 

"I think I fell for you." 

"Um, yeah, you liked me quite a lot…"

"No. I think I _fell_ for you. From Heaven. To Earth. For you." 

"Oh." Liam said and bit his lip when it wobbled. "I'm sorry?" 

Niall was looking at his face like he was trying to figure out why he would do something like that. Harry didn't think he would enjoy being on the other end of that look, from someone he loved. 

"I think you should kiss me," Niall said.

"Smooth," Louis commented. Liam reached out and pinched his nipple with such precision that Harry didn't remember until next morning that Liam still couldn't see Louis. 

The kiss started awkward, Niall not quite getting the angle right and Liam over eager, wanting to make up for all the waiting. But then Niall's hand found Liam's hip and pulled him closer and in the next moment they were kissing like it was the last time, not the first. 

Liam's fingers kept grabbing at Niall's skin and Harry was starting to feel rude, just staring, but then Louis leaned into his side and sighed into his ear and Harry could just nod and agree. It was sweet. 

**

"I don't remember everything. Just… you." Niall frowned. "But I think I have a war to stop, not lead. And find out who's been lying to me." He looked down. "I won't be long this time, I promise." 

Liam nodded, but Harry saw the resignation. 

"We can help you," Harry said, but the angel shook his head. 

"I'm actually pretty powerful," he shrugged, "it shouldn't take long, now that I know what I'm looking for." 

Louis was sitting on Zayn's table with his feet crossed and frowning at them all. 

"I'm gonna take this with me," Niall showed them the diary. "So I don't forget." 

He kissed Liam one more time before he left. 

**

He had promised to be quick, but Harry knew they all expected another year to pass before he was back. So they were pretty surprised when they heard a loud thump and a moan out on the terrace just three days later. 

Liam was at work, but he would be back in a few minutes, Zayn was about to go get him. Harry helped Niall up and Louis gave him a robe because this time he was horseless and clothesless. 

"Did you find out what you needed to?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. I…" Niall looked at his hands, "I took care of it all." 

Harry wanted to hug him and interrogate him and then hug him again but they weren't friends even before Niall left, much less now.

Louis wasn't feeling as kind. "So you're back," he said coldly. 

Niall wrapped the robe around him and looked Louis defiantly. "You have a problem with that?" 

"That depends. Are you planning on leaving again?" 

Niall looked down. "Not if he'll have me." 

Harry tugged Louis closer and kissed his ear. "Let them handle it." 

** 

"No way," Harry said, mock shocked when Liam told them he would, in fact, have Niall. 

Louis giggled and Zayn rolled his eyes, but Liam and Niall just kept glancing at each other and holding hands. 

"We can leave if you want some privacy," Zayn started, but Liam shook his head. 

"No, we're going back to our flat, I mean, that's what Harry kept it for, right? We have a lot to talk about," he blushed. 

"Your old flat?" Louis asked. 

Liam couldn't see the frown but he probably heard the strange note in Louis' voice. "We're not gonna all live here, we'd be in the way. But, I'm so, so grateful for everything you did and you're not getting rid of me that easily, we'll be around all the time. I know you have a bunch of questions, I just… want some time with him first." 

Louis nodded and walked away quietly, so Liam couldn't tell. Niall stood closer to Liam, worried. 

Harry just smiled. "We'll talk to him, he'll be okay. We're giving you a week to _talk_ and then we'll be all over you again." 

"Good." Liam smiled, relieved, and Niall just nodded, still cautious around everyone, even Liam. 

Zayn took Niall and Liam away and Harry went to look for Louis. He found him down on the beach, toes in the water and his chin leaning on his knees. 

Harry didn't say anything, he just sat close and dipped his own feet in the water. He leaned in at an awkward angle and kissed Louis' elbow. Then his shoulder and his ear. Louis huffed and pushed his face away but Harry caught the small smile before he hid it away. 

"He's happy," Harry simply said. 

"I know, I'm being a shit, I can't help it okay?" 

"You're just jealous." 

"Well I shouldn't be." 

"That's very mature of you. Finally existing for thousands of years is paying off." 

Louis slapped his arm hard making him pout, but he continued before Harry could say anything more. "It's just, he's ours, isn't he?" 

Harry smiled and and kissed his cheek, then pressed closer until he was pushing him down into the sand with his whole body. Louis was making squeaking noises but Harry ignored him. "He's Niall's too. And we are yours, and you are ours. It's ok to let him go for a while, he'll be back." 

"We don't know that." 

Harry giggled into his hair. "We do. Louis. Love. You do." 

He felt Louis deflate under him. "I'm the worst." 

"You're a bit possessive." 

Someone snorted behind them and they looked to see Zayn smiling at them. "A bit." 

He joined the pile, pressing at Louis from the other side.

"But now it's over and we can all move on like nothing happened, right?" Louis sounded more sad than angry. 

Harry looked at Zayn to see he was just as surprised. 

"Louis, you two are the only people I've been with for a century at least." Harry said.

"Yeah, mate, we can all go back to just, being together a bit less." Zayn started.

"But why would we?" Harry finished. 

"Oh." 

Zayn leaned in to kiss Louis and Harry watched them with a smile. 

**

"So, the first time I came down here, I was actually looking for you," Niall told Harry a week later, while Zayn was putting the food on all of their plates. 

Harry blinked, mashed potatoes already halfway to his mouth. "That's a weird coincidence." 

"Probably not." Zayn said. "You know how Simon is about _destiny_."

They were back at Zayn's house and Louis and Liam were in some kind of pinching war made harder by the fact that Liam was trying to hold on to Niall's hand and Louis was determined to make him stop. 

"There's a weapon, sealed and locked up in a room up there. I was supposed to get you so we could steal the weapon and win this war." 

"But he's not going back for it now," Liam said with a determined voice. Niall didn't seem to mind. "There's not gonna be a war." 

"There's gonna be a war," Niall corrected. "But it doesn't have to be now. That's why I fell. Meeting Liam that first time, it made me realize our army, with or without the weapon, is pretty weak. Any war we have will last a long time and spill everywhere." He looked at them all. "I mean everywhere. If we pick a better time and, well, if we have the Key…" 

Liam glared at Niall but Harry understood. "When the time is right, I might be persuaded to pick a side. Not by force, though." 

Niall smiled gratefully and nudged at Liam.

"Simon is such a shit though," Louis jumped in while trying to get his hands out of Liam's grip. "He knows everything and gives these vague half orders," he cut himself off and shook his head. "Cock." 

"He doesn't know everything," Zayn corrected him, and left it at that. 

Everyone just looked around at each other and started eating like they weren't all wondering what it was _Zayn_ knew. 

"So. How come you've an Irish accent?" was the first thing Louis said to Niall all day. 

Niall just smiled. "All angels are Irish." 

"They are not!" 

"It's true. All of us." 

"Like fuck you are!" Louis turned to Zayn for confirmation but Zayn was busy pretending not to notice. "You cheeky little bugger!" Louis finally told Niall. 

Niall cracked up. Full on belly laugh with his head thrown back. Harry and Zayn both looked at Liam. 

"Yeah, he seriously has the worst sense of humor." 

"Excuse you, Liam, I don't believe anyone asked for your opinion," Louis said.

"I can't hear you," Liam lied.

Louis finally got a hand free and was using it to poke fingers into Liam's ear and kept asking "how about now," repeatedly. Niall seemed to be perfectly alright with Death groping his boyfriend. 

Harry smiled into his orange juice.

**Author's Note:**

> This entire story was inspired by [Dessa's song Skeleton Key](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-elJDC8N7I).  
> Nothing in it is real.


End file.
